Golf carts are routinely inspected, serviced and repaired by golf course equipment maintenance personnel, usually a mechanic. Service of the brakes, tires and general mechanical operations requires that the cart be elevated and retained about 17 inches above the floor.
The most common method currently used to elevate carts employs a conventional floor jack of ratchet, screw, scissors or hydraulic type. To raise one end of the cart by this method several steps are necessary: (1) place jack under axle of left side, (2) elevate, (3) place a floor stand under the axle, (4) lower and remove jack, (5) place under axle of left side, (6) elevate, (7) place a floor stand under the axle at left side, (8) lower and remove jack. To lower the cart the jack must again be placed under the axle and the cart raised slightly to allow the removal of the floor jacks. This method of raising and lowering one end of the cart takes about eight (8) minutes of the skilled mechanic's time and requires one jack and two floor stands.
Excessive time is spent lifting with floor jacks. A typical golf course in the United States has 75 carts. On average, each cart will be raised five (5) times per year. Therefore, fifty (50) hours per year are spent raising and lowering carts at one course.
It is physically awkward to access the structural member, the axle, to which a floor jack is applied. The axle is located under the cart recessed about 30 centimeters from the front and about 50 centimeters from the rear. To position the jack, the mechanic must be on his hands and knees on the ground and partially under the cart Whether on the ground or a dirty shop floor, positioning floor jacks and stands under the axle is a dirty task.
A mechanic is in physical jeopardy any time he is under a cart which is supported by a conventional floor jack or stand. Because the base of such devices is small in relation to height and load, an elevated cart that is pushed from side to side or from front to back is easily dislodged from a floor jack or stands. Mechanics' hands are frequently abraded or knocked on the floor while pumping the handle of a ratchet or screw jack. Although a minor injury, the frequency of occurrence makes this a design flaw.
Floor jacks are typically comprised of two or more unconnected parts, i.e., the handle and the stand. When these parts get separated, the tool is rendered ineffective. Likewise, when the floor stands are not available for use in conjunction with the jack, the servicing operation is less efficiently done.
Golf cart flat tires occurring on the course are not currently changed at the breakdown site because: (a) floorjacks are not readily portable, (b) to function, floor jacks require a flat, dependable, hard surface, such as a floor. Previously a flat tire occurring on the playing course required the time of two (2) employees. One employee drove a replacement cart to the player. A second employee drove a towing vehicle to the breakdown site and then towed the broken cart back to the maintenance building.
The gears, racks, cogs and threads of ratchet and screw jacks get stripped. This damage is not repairable and thus necessitates a new purchase.
The price of a floor jack and two floor stands is significant.
Chain hoists are not suitable for lifting a golf cart. The cart has no appropriate structure to which to attach a chain. Also a golf cart cannot be dependably balanced from a chain hoist.
Several types of alternative lifts have been proposed: in U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,926 to McCanse and Fulmer (1993), U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,517 to Fisher (1973), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,264 to Beattie and Sinden (1991). The lifts and stands cited above suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) Significant storage space is required in what are typically cramped golf course maintenance shops. PA1 (b) Cart tires are in cups or on rails and, therefore, elements of the power train, motor, breaks, belts, and batteries cannot be tested under power. PA1 (c) Wheels and tires cannot be removed because the cart is supported by the wheels while elevated by these means. Therefore, tire changing and brake work cannot be done on these lifts. PA1 (d) Alignment of vehicles on support rails is difficult. PA1 (e) They are large and therefore not easily portable. PA1 (f) The price is significant. PA1 (a) to provide a fast (about 5 seconds) means of elevating lightweight vehicles, which in a business situation, increases effectiveness of mechanics' wages; PA1 (b) to provide a relatively small, yet tremendously stable, lift with a three-point (3-point) point stabilizing base, which is almost equal to the length and width of the vehicle elevated, which prevents an elevated cart from tipping from front to back and thus provides a safer lift; PA1 (c) to provide a secure interlocking engagement between the cart's structural frame (the towing hole) and lift which prevents and elevated cart, under normal circumstances, from sliding off the lift, and thus provides a safer lift; PA1 (d) to provide a wide, three (3) point, support engagement between the carts structural frame (the towing hole) and lift which prevents an elevated cart, under normal circumstances, from sliding off the lift, and thus provides a safer lift; PA1 (e) to reduce the chance of bodily injury by creating a safer operating position for the person while he is positioning the jack and while he is elevating the vehicle; PA1 (f) to eliminate hand injuries received while pumping a ratchet or screw-type jack handle; PA1 (g) to simplify the process of lifting and retaining the vehicle by reducing the seven (7) steps previously listed to elevate and retain a golf cart with conventional floor jacks to three (3) quicker, easier steps; PA1 (h) to provide a device which comprises in one tool both a lift and a stand; PA1 (i) to provide a lift which eliminates the mechanic's need to crawl under the cart while engaging the lift to the cart and providing an engagement point, the tow package hole, which is easily visible and accessible from a standing position; PA1 (j) to provide a lift in which the engagement point with the cart is automatically centered, side to side, and thus elevating the cart from a balanced position; PA1 (k) to provide a lift which reduces the amount of energy required of the servicepersonto operate it; PA1 (l) to provide a lift in which the operator remains clean while using it; PA1 (m) to provide a lift without long handles or other obstruction which hinder access to an elevated cart while servicing work is done; PA1 (n) to provide a lift which allows work on the power-train elements while the motor is running; PA1 (o) to provide a lift with dependable repeatability so that the cart is automatically elevated to the same desired height every time; PA1 (p) to provide a lift which is portable; PA1 (q) to provide a lift which can be used at the site of a flat tire even when it occurs on the grass on the golf course; PA1 (r) to provide a simpler, more dependable lift comprised of few parts; PA1 (s) to provide a lift which is always together because the component parts are not readily detached; PA1 (t) to provide a lift which is relatively small and easily stored; PA1 (u) to provide a lift which is easily shipped; and, PA1 (v) to provide a lift which is economically priced.
Heretofore, there has not been a fast, safe, and economical means of lifting lightweight vehicles such as golf carts.